bad fuel

[MAXDOUT]

ok, i have a onan gold generator. been sitting with fuel in it for the summer. i added sta-bil gas treatment to it, but it still wont start. i topped off the fuel with new fuel, but it still doesnt want to fire up. i dont want to burn out my starter by cranking it over and over. any suggestions??? besides spraying starting fluid in the carb??? i cant even get to the carb, it is all inclosed.

[JoeDuner]

Take a picture of it and upload it. I had the same thing happen. I was able to keep it running by manually choking it. I had to pull the elevation screw (idle mixture screw) and clean the float bowl real good.

[dunefreak]

^ yep what he said.

Tyler, you should be able to access the carb on a Onan pretty easily.

another tip- mine didn't start once and it was because the choke linkage cam screw backed out. (side of teh carb) So when it was supposed to be choked, the choke plate was wide open not allowing it to start.

[MAXDOUT]

here it is

[dunefreak]

Did you say you already DID try spraying carb cleaner into the carb or no?

[MAXDOUT]

Did you say you already DID try spraying carb cleaner into the carb or no?

no

[dunefreak]

Try that first then. You are gonna take off the air filter cover. It's real simple, just unclip the 2 or 3 clips, pull the air filter out and hold the throttle plate or choke open and shoot some in there while cranking. You should have a start switch outside on the generator so you don't have to do it from inside.

Just don't go overboard and flood it out.

Here is where the throat of the carb will be when you take the air filter and cover off.

[dunefreak]

Another thing that worked for me once was to hold down the choke manually while cranking and let go if it starts.

It is a metal arm with a spring on it.

[MAXDOUT]

Try that first then. You are gonna take off the air filter cover. It's real simple, just unclip the 2 or 3 clips, pull the air filter out and hold the throttle plate or choke open and shoot some in there while cranking. You should have a start switch outside on the generator so you don't have to do it from inside.

Just don't go overboard and flood it out.

Here is where the throat of the carb will be when you take the air filter and cover off.

i will try that.

Another thing that worked for me once was to hold down the choke manually while cranking and let go if it starts.

It is a metal arm with a spring on it.

i did hold that down, and it did nothing. i finally got it to fire, but it runs for a second and dies. so i think i will do the carb cleaner. thanks pete.

[Richard Cheese]

could be that the carb needs a good cleaning out too

[wingnut]

Also......put a shutoff valve in the fuel line....then shut it off when your not using the geni. Then drain the gas out of the bowl. There is a philips head screw that is easy to get to. The carbs on onans get destroyed real easy from gas...You will $hit yourself when u see how much they cost!!!!

Edited August 15, 2007 by wingnut

[MAXDOUT]

thanks guys. i happen to know someone at onan. but hopefully i wont need to replace it.

[sanddunesaddict]

Also......put a shutoff valve in the fuel line....then shut it off when your not using the geni. Then drain the gas out of the bowl. There is a philips head screw that is easy to get to. The carbs on onans get destroyed real easy from gas...You will $hit yourself when u see how much they cost!!!!

Im so glad mine is propane

[JoeDuner]

The altitude adjuster is the air fuel mixture. It is gummed up. You need to break the plastic and it will unscrew all the way. Then clean the orfice and it should run like new.

[offroadracer]

Also......put a shutoff valve in the fuel line....then shut it off when your not using the geni. Then drain the gas out of the bowl. There is a philips head screw that is easy to get to. The carbs on onans get destroyed real easy from gas...You will $hit yourself when u see how much they cost!!!!

how long does it have to sit for this to happen?mines been sitting for about 2 months

[wingnut]

how long does it have to sit for this to happen?mines been sitting for about 2 months

Gas, depending on the octane, starts gumming up at about 30 days.

[Kens Colors]

Something else to check is the oil level.....I am not sure about onans but most gennies have a low oil shut off. I tried to fire mine up the other day and wouldn't start wouldn't staart I checked oil it was a little to low added oil started up right away!!

[bp-guy]

I run my generator once a month for a few minutes. I have had to replace a carb and it wasn't cheap. ($185.00)

[offroadracer]

Gas, depending on the octane, starts gumming up at about 30 days.

Damn better check mine this weekend!!! thanks craig

[lindernglamis]

Okay I had the same problem, with onans they have to be ran every couple of weeks to make sure that they continue to work. My understanding is that the gas gets hard and varnishes in the jet and other orifices, and you can not clean them out well enough to work. I tried pushing a very thin piece of wire through all the holes which got my gen started and running for a few seconds, but never much longer.

I ended up having to replace the carb, was like 3 or 4 hundred dollars. Onan carbs are not rebuildable and the rv shop won't do this because it would effect their emissions

[CHOPJAW]

So how did it turn out?

[ahsumtoy]

I had to take my toyhauler in for some warranty work and the maintenance guy told me something to do to my generator. I have an Onan Gold 5.5 and he told me every 2 months of sitting to dissconnect either the red or white wire, fire up the generator and let it run out of gas, thus cleaning out the fuel pump and carb. I've been doing that it I've never had a problem. He said a fuel pump on those things costs around $400 big ones so I should do what he said. My two wires are on the very left side of the gen.

[MAXDOUT]

yep, like alot of you said....new carb. So, my new generator schedule is as follows. Every third week during off months I start it and run it for 30 mins. with the a/c on. Thankfully I have R/V parking so I can do it from home. The nice thing is I was able to talk camping world into covering under warrenty.